Superchanneling, Caspase Regulation, and RNA Control in Ubiquitin-Proteasome Pathways
Official title: Superchanneling, Regulation of Caspases, and Site-Specific Control of RNA
Funded at California Institute of Technology · NIH-11334343 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A long-running NIH grant studies how the ubiquitin-proteasome system controls protein breakdown and RNA stability, with implications for cancer, neurodegeneration, and immunity, to understand new ways to influence health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 1992 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $484,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R01GM031530-44 |
| Project ID | NIH-11334343 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to this grant as described; it is basic research in cellular mechanisms and proteolysis.
✕Less likely to help
No direct patient involvement expected in the current grant scope.
What this research studies
This grant explores how proteins are marked for destruction and how this impacts cell function, focusing on the Arg/N-degron pathway and recent ideas about superchanneling. It plans to connect degradation signals to mRNA stability and to examine links between human caspases and degradation pathways. The work combines molecular biology, protein chemistry, and cellular approaches to reveal mechanisms that could be leveraged for disease therapies. The research is rooted in decades of prior work and continues at Caltech with a focus on translating basic insights to human health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how protein turnover affects disease could lead to new targets for cancer and neurodegenerative therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has shown that manipulating proteostasis pathways can influence disease-related processes; this renewal builds on established findings with potential for translational impact.
Where this research is happening
-
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Varshavsky, Alexander J — California Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Varshavsky, Alexander J
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.